The immeasurable joy of COUNCIL TAX

Oh, man. Thanks for that, Peedal. Very frustrating. The only thing that puzzles me a bit is that my student visa says I have no recourse to public funds either, and yet it wasn't an issue for me to get a letter from the uni. for a council tax break.

We will have a new council tax bill in October and I'll probably apply for my FLR (M) that same month. I was going to do it sooner since we've bumped up our wedding date, but maybe I won't now. If I don't, it sounds like I'll be just under the wire for this being a potential snag in my eventual ILR application.

Now I just hope that I didn't do anything illegal by using the letter my school gave me for this past year!!!!

Well, worst case scenario, if for some reason we really weren't eligible for a council tax discount while on student visa's, we can research this thoroughly and, if need be, pay the councils before applying for ILR. Even if the school's are at fault for doing it, even if it's hard info to come by, retroactively paying the tax would make us look good and responsible to the IND - I'd hope.  Don't fret too much yet Anne! I'm right there with ya!

Can I say I'm sorry again? 

Gosh, don't be sorry, peedal. I'm sure balmerhon and I would both say that we'd rather be aware of any possible hitches than be blissfully ignorant now only to find out later that we've got a major problem on our hands.... It's now just something to bear in mind as we go forward, that's all! 

Ditto what AnneG said. I never thought to examine this in any depth and frankly, my Uni has more than enough international students that they should know about these things. I mean, they have hundreds and hundreds of foreign students... so we'll just see what happens!

prior to 1990 local property taxes were called 'The Rates', which taxed house occupiers on the basis of how much rent the house would command if it were notionally rented out. Periodically the 'rateable value' of houses was reassessed to try to make it more nearly correspond with the market rent. By 1990 a reassessment was long overdue, and at this point the Poll Tax came in (officially called the "Community Charge", but no one except the government ever called it that). Now every Jack and Jill inside the house had to pay a decreed sum, instead of the householder being presented with a Rates assessment and leaving it to him how he got the various occupants to make a contribution. In theory local councils would be free to set the tax at what ever level they felt their electors would tolerate, and the Tories felt, this would encourage them to cut tax bills or they wouldn't get relected. A number of Left-wing councils promptly decided they would push the tax through the roof, calculating that the Government would get the blame, which is pretty much what happened. The Poll Tax proved highly unpopular and was one of the causes of Margaret Thatcher's downfall.  After her fall, the new Tory Prime Minister decided to go back to a modified version of the Rates, but including a modest degree of headcount as a face saving measure.
The long-term basis of local taxation is still unfinished business, which no government really wants to get to grips with.

I live in a two bedroom flat in the Midlands and our council tax is £82 per month. We are in band A. When I think about how many flats are on this one street, all paying at least £82 per month, then think about how few street lights work , how few cops I see around here, and how much rubbish is whirling around in front of our corner shop, it makes my blood pressure rise!! I do despise council tax--even if I do have a new job at the local library!

I would love to pay £82 a month in Council Tax. 

Council Tax Benefit is specifically listed.

So - those on FLR(M) are NOT entitled to Council Tax Benefit.

And this, therefore, sets up a tricky situation for those who have entered on Student Visas and have been told they're eligible, and then transfer to a FLR(M) after marriage, which makes them ineligible and can affect their ILR application further down the line...

Council tax benefit is not the same thing as a council tax reduction. Council tax benefit is something you can apply for if you are on a low income, like housing benefit (although you don't necessarily have to be claiming one to get the other)
I think that what students get is a reduction, like the single person reduction. If you were eligible, you could claim both the single person reduction and council tax benefit, which shows that they are not the same thing. It still doesn't solve the problem of whether students who are not entitled to public funds are entitled to the reduction though. They still may not be, but for a different reason.
I hope that makes some sense.

Full time students, international or otherwise, do not have to pay council tax:

So sayeth UKCOSA
http://www.ukcosa.org.uk [nofollow]

International students - for questions on the rules and the like, UKCOSA is definitely your friend. They're very nice and helpful on the phone too if your question isn't answered in one of their FAQs or Guidance Notes

basically I think it has to do with the fact that the student exemption  is not a benefit it is an exemption from a bill, not a benefit that pays the bill on the student's behalf. And in a household with students and other adults living together students are among the adults "disregarded" when counting heads for how many adults occupy the dwelling. Also not a benefit, as it's a pre-bill-figuring thing.

 In any case, UKCOSA is quite clear on the fact that international students on a student visa for a course of study lasting at least one UK academic year don't pay council tax any more than  home students do. They're also clear on the fact that students with "no recourse to public funds" are not eligible for council tax benefit .  (Making it all the more clear that the student exemption is not a benefit)

From the UKCOSA guidance note "International students and Council Tax":
http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/images/tax.pdf [nofollow]

"DO I HAVE  TO PAY THE COUNCIL TAX?
If you live in an 'exempt dwelling' you will not need to pay the Council Tax. There will be no bill for the dwelling.
Exempt dwellings include:
* Accomodation provided by the university or college ....
*Other dwellings (e.g. a privately rented flat) occupied only by students (see the note below about the dependents of students) "

"I LIVE WITH NON_STUDENTS: DO I HAVE TO PAY THE TAX?
Students living with only their spouse or family
If the only non-student adult in your dwelling is your spouse (husband or wife) and/or adult dependant, the dwelling may still be exempt.

It will be exempt if the spouse or dependent is not a British citizen and has been addmitted to the UK .... with a 'no recourse to public funds' condiditon or a prohibiton on employment stamped in their passport. "

"THERE IS A BILL FOR MY DWELLING: HOW IS IT CALCULATED?

...How the local authority counts the number of people living in the property
The local authority will count the number of  adults who are living in the dwelling. However, when they are counting, they will 'disregard' (not count) certain residfent adults, including: students; spouses and dependants of students with either a 'no recourse to public funds' condiditon or employment prohibition in their passport; and student nurses "

(It then goes on to explain the business of:
more than one adult not in a disregarded category  = full bill
 only one adult not in a disregarded category == single person discount of  25%
all adults in disregarded categories but  dwelling not exempt (for example  a student + someone in some other disregarded category) = bill discounted 50%  )

Can't I resent the misuse of my money? And I fail to see why why we need to be taxed so much regardless of whether a council performs well or poorly.

MadThing and WellyBob, you just took a huge load off of my mind (and a few other minds here too, I suspect!) Thank you SO much for that information!!! 

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/council_tax_benefit.asp

just stumbled across this which may have useful info for some

Sun King,
I can't tell you anything more than everyone else said, but just wanted to put a shout out to you down in Marlow.  We live in the High Wycombe area.  Marlow is such a lovely town, one of the best places around.  You wouldn't have one of those places on the river, would you? 

Matt

 :\\\'(

This is probably just a cathartic rant for me - no real point otherwise...

I just found out that I am paying 230 a month in Council Tax.  I am a grown man and I have to admit that I want to cry a little now.

What a total kick in the *$&#!

Does the amount of council tax I pay at least go against my taxable income or something?  Are there any other possible benefits to me for paying this besides the basic services that this makes available to me (blah, trash collection and sewer)?  Or am I basically paying for the most expensive trash and pooh collection service on earth?

-Rubbish collection
-Sewerage
-A small percentage to the fire service
-If in London - an increasingly large percentage to fund the pointless tier of local government we call the London Assembly
-If in London - funding Ken Livingstone's whisky habit
-If outside of London - funding local council and possibly county councils to go on jollies, overpay their officers, and duplicate work
-Poor road maintenence
-Failing schools
-Community Support Officers, ie those guys who look like real policement but have no powers
-Closing libraries
-Poorly maintained parks

...I could go on.

Welcome to Britain!!!


Vicky